"المحاضر الإيطالية عن الساحل الأفريقي المُطل على البحر الأحمر" [ظ‎‎١‎٢‎٤] (٣٢/٤)

4
supposed to exist from Assab across the mountains,
but as to which the Captain himself had no faith.
He added that, from the fact of Signor ^ Bianchi
being a Government servant, from his having been
vested with powers of a Consul General in the Bed
Sea, and from his being allowed a Secretary, he
believed that Assab had become the property of the
Italian Government.*
At the end of April, the Sheikh of Beilul ^ re
ported to the Governor of Massowah the arrival
there of certain Italians who had come overland
from Assab, and by their violent proceedings were
greatly alarming the inhabitants. When questioned
as to why they had established themselves in territory
belonging to Egypt, they replied that the country
from Assab to Assoul belonged to them, and that
they could act in it as they pleased. The bearer of
this report added that an Italian ship had landed
at Beilul a second party, making the number
present fifty persons. The Governor of Massowah
referred to the Egyptian Government for instruc
tions as to the measures he should take to reassure
the people, f
The Egyptian Eoreign Minister at once addressed
the Italian Agent, to the effect that the proceedings
reported were calculated to trouble the peace of the
country ; that such acts, in places occupied for the
most part by a nomad population, easily excited,
might have grave consequences; and that the
Egyptian Government would be compelled to take
steps to assert its authority and protect its subjects.
M. de Martino simply replied that he would
refer the matter to his Government, and that,
meanwhile, he relied upon the measures of the
Egyptian Government being moderate and prudent.
A similar account of the Italian proceedings was
subsequently given by Sheikh Arkitu, described as
“ Chief of Beilul and Ghubhi,” to Captain Hulton
of Her Majesty’s ship “ Dragon.” The Sheikh
stated that he complained to one of the Italian
authorities—probably Signor Bianchi—of the expe
dition frightening the people in the villages,
running after the women, &c., and also warned him
that his countrymen had better not go up country,
as the tribes there were very wild and there was no
Government.!
The prognostications of the Egyptian Eoreign
Minister and the warning of the local Sheikh were
destined to be speedily justified. In the middle
of June, news was received of the massacre of an
Italian exploring party near Beilul. The party
was composed of Signor Giulietta, ten seamen of
the “Ettore Eieramosca,” under Sub-Lieutenant
Biglieri, two Italian workmen, and two native
servants, and was in search of a new route to the
highlands of Abyssinia. § The disaster occurred on
the 25th May, at a place called Dattatu, near the
Abyssinian frontier, twelve days from the coast,
and every member of the expedition perished.
The Italian Agent in Egypt was at once in
structed to call upon the Egyptian Government to
* From Aden; No. 3, dated 10th February
1881.
t From Foreign
No. 419.
Office, 17th June 1881
% Commander Hulton’s Report, 5th July
1881.
From Foreign Office, 5th August; No. 558.
§ From Foreign Office, 2nd August 1881;
No. 542.